Monday, May 4, 2009

Em was sure there couldn't be anything worse than being a brainiac the body of a teenaged supermodel.But it turned out she was wrong. Because that supermodel could turn out to have a mother who's gone mysteriously missing, a brother who's shown up on her doorstep demanding answers, a former best friend who's intent on destroying Stark Enterprises to avenge the death of his lost love, and a British heartthrob who's written a song about her that's topping the charts.How can Em balance all that with school, runway shows, and weekend jaunts to St. Johns - especially when she's got ex-boyfriends crawling out of the woodwork who want more than just a photo op; a sister who is headed to the high school cheerleading championships; a company she represents that seems to be turning to the dark side...Not to mention trying to convince the love of her life that models aren't really airheads after all...especially one model in particular.

But then, nobody said it was going to be easy being Nikki.

What the Pros Say:

PW: Cabot…dishes up all the story ingredients her fans have come to know and love - romance, humor, believable teen dialogue and even a fantastical twist…Pure fun, this first series installment will leave readers clamoring for the next.

Kirkus: The text's abundant references to current pop culture and Em's witty character keep this read both grounded and fun.

What I Say:

Do you love love love Meg Cabot and all of her books? Then this one's definitely for you.

Are you a little iffier on her style, or haven't tried any of her books yet? Then I think I'd recommend that you start with another of her series (and you've got a whole bunch of gems to choose from: The Princess Diaries, The Mediator books, even the "Boy" books, which I absolutely adore and were some of the first books to drag me into the chick lit section).

Being Nikkiis a fun, enjoyable read, and if you read and enjoyed Airhead, then I would say that you're good to go. In this follow-up, the mystery around Em's transformation deepens--why is she really stuck in Nikki's body? Plus, all of her relationships become much more complicated, and Em's left trying to fix the mess that was Nikki's life while creating a new life all her own.

One nitpick that I did have with the book was that Christopher wasn't always the most likeable boy, but I think we can give him a miss on the theory that the love of his life had just died. Basically though, this one's a fun, quick read that will definitely appeal to Meg Cabot fans and will probably tickle anyone who enjoys fun, chick-litty reads with a little bit of geeky-girl-sass.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

This is a weekly compilation of all the contests in the YA book blogosphere, arranged here for your enjoyment. The list is posted once a week, but updated throughout the week, so remember to check back often!